Australia's Grant Hackett has announced his retirement from competitive swimming, leaving the sport as one of the greatest long-distance swimmers of all time.
During more than a decade 28 year old Hackett won seven Olympic medals, including three golds, and 18 world championship medals, featuring 10 golds, and he retires as the current world record for 800 and 1500 metres freestyle.
He finished a close second behind Tunisia's Oussama Mellouli in the 1500 metres final at the Beijing Olympics two months ago in what was his last race.
